Could you comment
on the following verse and its exposition? I was always of the opinion that
divine wrath was inflicted on the unjust and the disbelievers and that a
Rasūl’s (Messenger) presence and teaching is a pre-requisite. Actually this
emerges from a debate on attributing present Muslim ills on divine wrath or
to socio-economic factors. The verse is:

And fear chastisement
which cannot fall exclusively on those of you who do wrong, and know that
Allah is severe in punishment. (8:25)

Answer:

You have rightly
said that divine wrath only befalls disbelievers after the truth has been
unveiled to them in its ultimate form by a special representative, called a
Rasūl of Allah. Because the disbelievers deny the message of their Rasūl in
spite of being literally convinced about its veracity, their matter is
decided in this very world and is not deferred to the Hereafter. Once
decided, they are wiped out from the face of this earth and find no further
chance to repent or mend their ways. This is what is specific to the era of
a Rasūl and this punishment is what should be taken as divine wrath.

In contrast to this, there
is another type of punishment that also befalls wrongdoers in a period
devoid of a Rasūl. This may be more appropriately termed as ‘Divine
Reminder’. Allah does not leave the wrongdoers unchecked even when there is
no Messenger among them. Although in this case, no court of justice is
established in this world, divine reminders do descend upon the wrong doers,
all the way through, to make them mend their ways. With every misfortune
that strikes them, they still have a chance to repent and change the course
of their lives. Those who take heed and thereby surrender are forgiven. The
Holy Qur’ān reads:

Whatever of misfortune
strikes you, it is what your right hands have earned and He forgives many.
(42:30)

The verse that you have
quoted actually alludes to the stark reality that an individual is indeed
part of a collectivity. He has many people around him for whom he should not
play the role of just a spectator. He has been obligated to not only follow
the right path himself but also guide and exhort others to the same. After
professing faith and carrying out righteous deeds, he is further required to
show the right path to others; to enjoin what is good and to forbid what is
wrong.

Believing men and
believing women are friends to each other. They enjoin what is good and
forbid what is wrong. (9:71)

Thus, ‘enjoining what is good and forbidding what is
wrong’ is our duty that we are obligated to perform in the circle of our
friends and relations. The context of the verse quoted by you shows that a
warning is sounded to the ‘righteous’ who wish to sit within their cocoons
and, fearing that their friends and relations might get angry, would not ask
them to give up their ill ways. Since they have taken up a wrong attitude,
the divine reminders will not leave them unharmed once they descend upon the
wrong doers. Not only do the wrong doers need to change their ways, the
apparently righteous should also mend their ways. If they won’t, they had
better be prepared for the punishment that would not differentiate between
those who do wrong and those who remain unconcerned regarding violation of
Allah’s commandments. This is what, I believe, is the purport of the verse.